she dances, he makes music | boise north end engagement session

going into a couple's home let's me connect with them like nothing else. so here's the part where lauren and andrew are in love in their home.... going 

and here's the part where lauren dances and totally steals my heart. i know you're dying to hear the back story. here it is: we wanted to finish up the session by climbing onto the roof of the super cool historical building lauren and andrew live in, in the north end of boise. lauren had prepped me before our session, "it might be a little tricky, its kind of sketchy getting up there." i assure her, "oh, i'm pretty sure i can handle it."

HA. ha. ha. ha. i could not handle it.  after watching the incredibly athletic andrew basically hop up, and the extraordinarily nimble lauren scramble up like a pretty little  cat, i nervously tried to hoist myself on the railings.......and started sweating AND shaking within 1.89 minutes.

i looked down and saw the street, far below us, so very very very far below us, and it was at that moment that i   said, "guys, i don't think i can do this." and my pride was busted and bruised. we agreed to shoot the dancing portion of the session the following night in another cool location (yet to be determined), and lauren and andrew were so super nice and gracious about the whole thing. they really really tried to not let me be embarrassed.

but i couldn't. get. over. it. i knew there had to be away to get up that roof. i went home that night and brainstormed with my mom, who is the master of all resourcefulness, in case you didn't know. long story short, we devised a plan, i emailed lauren and said, "we ARE getting up on that roof gosh darn it," and as you will soon see, we did.

it was the bravest thing i have ever done for a client and it was 100% worth it. because, my goodness just look at her....(i kid you not she brought me to tears)

Ellen and the rest

oh the nostalgia. this was one of my very last sessions before i left provo.  i've said it before and i'll say it again, its easy to fall in love with a family when they're in front of your lens. why? you're job is to look for the best in them - the soft parts. you have to find all the love passing back and forth, the beauty in the small gestures. and when you find it, you're gone. totally and completely.

its especially easy to fall in love when you get to shoot on one of those magical  summer evenings, when the warmth in the air is just right, and the sun is starting to fade.

we shot this session on some of the most charming streets in provo, ut, where ellen and her family used to live. you could tell they were well loved there too because we were stopped at least 3 times by old neighbors who wanted to say hello. i think it might be because ellen is a little famous. or maybe its because she and her family are just. so. great.

contax 645, fuji 400h, portra 400, ilford 3200.

canon eos 3, portra 800, fuji 400h